This Chocolate Power Balls recipe is one of the top 3 reasons I keep a small food processor on my counter – yes, that is precious space, but I like to keep a few fresh Power Balls in my fridge to keep me from making bad choices when I. Need. Food. Now! I try not to let that happen, but … life happens!

And these make a wonderful portable breakfast with a hot cup of coffee … one of my favorites!

I’ve dropped the instructions into the graphic itself, to make it easier to save/share on Pinterest, Instagram, etc., and have also posted the full written instructions below in case that’s easier for you. As always, feel free to play around with the ingredients: walnuts are delicious, macadamia nuts … you can substitute some of the dates with dried cranberries for a seasonal sweetness. Enjoy trying new things, and working with what you have on hand.

Delicious and nutritious snack to have on hand for after work or after school. And delicious with coffee!

When it’s cold and wet outside (like today), I want comfort food with a kick … and this Butternut Squash soup, with its sweet and spicy flavor profile is really perfect. A light salad with a tarragon vinegar and oil dressing makes a perfect companion, clearing your palate and letting you rediscover the creamy warmth again and again.

And fair warning – it’s a “little” addictive … so it’s good that it’s super-simple to make.

All the best flavors – sweet and spicy – in a creamy, delicious, healthy soup!

1. Heat the oil over medium heat; once warm add the shallots and garlic (finely chopped) and sauté until light brown.
2. Add the squash and spices, stirring frequently over the next four minutes.
3. Cover and simmer over low heat (until squash is tender).
4. Blend with immersion blender, add more spices as needed over the next few minutes of simmering (just for a few minutes after blending it all together), then serve with desired garnishes. Pictured here with parsley and pepitas (crunchy texture is awesome to offset the creaminess!). Also very tasty with a bit of candied nuts.

Another unconscious eating trap I’ve seen (and experienced) is forgetting about the visual part of eating. Marketers know that if you have a beautiful table setting and food arrangement, diners will mistake fast food for haute cuisine. And many dieters have reported that when they involve several senses in their meals, they feel full faster and longer! So, it’s worth the few extra moments it takes to think through how to make your meal more visually appealing: thoughtful plating, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, or similar! And just in case you’re interested, the simple recipe for the mushroom salad is below.

Super-Simple Mushroom Pasta Salad (pictured above)

Serves 2

3 cups (or more if you like) of fresh mushrooms – whatever you have on hand – cleaned and chopped if they are large
3 cups (or more if you like) of greens – a mix of bitter winter baby greens is delicious with this
1 cup of cooked pasta (dried or fresh)
Couple of dashes of vinegar (I prefer white wine vinegar)
Two “glugs” of high quality olive oil – one for the pan, one for the salad
Salt
Pepper

Prep the mushrooms and heat a cast iron or similar skillet with a bit of olive oil. When hot, toss in the mushrooms, and cook for about 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring/flipping occasionally, until slightly browned.

Note: do not use a nonstick pan if you can help it. In addition to releasing chemicals, these pans keep the mushrooms from browning properly.

In the meantime, wash the greens, cut if necessary, and dry. First toss in the vinegar, then a pinch of salt, then toss with olive oil. (Order is important – if you start with the olive oil, the vinegar will slide off.)

When the mushrooms are ready, toss in the cooked pasta (great way to use cold leftover pasta) until the pasta is warmed through. Add fresh ground pepper, taste, add salt if needed, and then plate the salad with the mushroom/pasta mix over it.

There’s not much cooking here, but a fair amount of chopping. It helps if you have a grocer with a good salad bar nearby … but even if not, it’s about 5 minutes of chopping, and I promise it’s well worth it!

Put water on to boil, and prep the broccoli, peas, and carrots. Toss into the water and cook for 5 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, prep the mushrooms and cabbage. With a strainer, remove the vegetables (leaving water boiling) and rinse in cold water, and set aside. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, and bean sprouts to the boiling water, cook for one minute, then rinse in cold water, and add them to the rest of the veggies.

In a large pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, and add the garlic, ginger, onion, and scallions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from heat, and carefully (so it doesn’t splatter) add the broth and 1/2 to all of the cooking water from the veggies. If you want the soup brothy, add more; if not, add less.

Add the noodles to the soup (using rice noodles will keep the broth nice and thin, as they’re less starchy), and cook until the noodles are ready. Add the veggies back in, top with sauces as desired, and serve.

This is one of my very favorite recipes, because it’s endlessly variable. Add coriander with the cumin. Top with that leftover salsa. Slip in some spinach … and on and on. But I digress … here is the basic recipe!

Slice the sweet potato into small squares (no need to peel first). Toss in just a small bit of olive oil, the cumin, and salt, put in single layer on cookie sheet (or similar) and put in oven for about 25 minutes or until brown. Stir once or twice so that they brown evenly.

In the meantime, rinse quinoa, place in saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

While they are cooking, put the raisins/cranberries, arugula and green onion into a bowl, and sprinkle with the vinegar, mustard, and salt, then toss to coat (yes, you can just toss it all in there and stir it around). Let sit for a few minutes, then add pepper and olive oil and stir it around again. Add any optional items you would like.

When it’s all ready, plate the salad, spoon some quinoa over it, and toss on the crispy, delicious, hot sweet potato.

And have fun with this … have some fresh herbs on hand? Toss ’em in. Like garlic in your dressing? Toss it in. Don’t have raisins but have apples? Go with that. Enjoy!

I thought I’d share my version of yesterday’s Food Challenge lunch … which was a little bit of a riff on the recipe for the day. When I went shopping to get wraps, the store had handmade whole wheat pita for half off, so I bought those instead; on this budget you get creative with what’s on sale, for sure!

And, since I keep sprouts growing on my windowsill, I tossed those in for extra flavor, crunch, nutrition, and beauty. It was SO simple and delicious – I will do this again and again anytime I need to grab a quick, simple lunch that’s also healthy!

Ingredients
Gluten-free or Whole Wheat Pita
Organic Hummus (homemade or store-bought, any type)
Sunflower sprouts (or any other greens or veggies you have on hand)
Turmeric
Black pepper

Instructions

Cut the pita in half and spread hummus on both inside surfaces. Toss sprouts into the pocket, sprinkle with turmeric and black pepper (or any other spices you like), and eat!

Turmeric intensifies the yellow of the eggs, adds just a hint of flavor, and a huge health benefit! Be sure to add fresh ground pepper at the end, to dramatically increase absorption of the turmeric.

In a small bowl, add turmeric to eggs and mix until blended. Melt coconut oil in pan over medium-low heat, gently add the eggs and stir until no longer runny, but still soft. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl toss squash, about 1 tbsp oil, and a bit of salt and pepper,until coated. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil if desired for ease of cleaning). Roast, turning squash every 10 minutes, until tender, 30–35 minutes.

With just a little planning and some common prepared foods on hand, weeknight dinners can look like this Mediterranean Feast – in under 5 minutes! Be sure to plate them in a way that pleases your eye as well as your palate (yes, it matters) … those fast-food places on your way home won’t stand a chance.

Plus, this kind of eating – little bits of several high-nutrient and high-quality foods – is a great way to give your body a variety of nutrients to support your health!

What I used:
Organic Hummus
2 organic peppers – red, and purple
2 pickled hot peppers (I made these over the weekend in a simple vinegar brine)
A couple of bits of cheese – I had a goat brie and a bit of Iberico
Bagged greens – I love the Cruciferous Crunch Collection that Trader Joe’s sells, but you can use kale, chard, or lettuces if you prefer
A bit of wine vinegar and olive oil to sprinkle over the greens
sliced mini-cucumber
sliced tomato
A few wheat crostini
Salt and fresh ground pepper
100% grape juice

What I might have also used, if it were handy and sounded good:
Any other in-season veggies – avocado, chickpeas, carrots, celery, etc.
Herbs to mix into the greens
Raw, organic almonds, cashews, etc.
Leftover grains of any kind – quinoa, freekeh, etc.
Wine

Put olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic clove, and kosher salt (to taste) into a jar and shake it (or a bowl and whisk it) until well mixed. Set aside.

Trim the ends off summer squash. Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, thinly slice the squash lengthwise into strips and transfer to your serving bowl. Top with minced pepper.

Pour dressing over vegetables. Toss, and let stand for about 5-10 minutes, toss again, then sprinkle with the cheese if using. Season with more salt if needed, and freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Note: This is also extra-tasty over a bed of peppery arugula … delicious!

Last week, my figs were tiny and green – this week, they’re ripe – ALL of them! Following are a few ways I’m going to make use of these amazing fruits – in addition to eating them right off the tree, when the birds don’t get to them first!

Crispy Broiled Figs: Melt a bit of coconut oil with honey (just a little of each). Lay figs halves on a baking sheet. Brush with melted mix. Broil until the fig tops bubble and start to brown on the edges. Serve as a side dish with veggies, or add a bit of marscapone for a wonderful earthy dessert.

Fig Bruschetta: Finely dice fresh figs, and toss with a splash of balsamic vinegar and one good grind of black pepper. Top toasted baguette slice with a bit of ricotta or marscapone cheese, top with fig mix

Cheesy, Melty Figs: Chop the top half off the fig (reserve for Bruschetta, above :-)) and slightly “open” the bottom half. Add a soft cheese: a nice ripe bleu, robiola, or a bit of brie. Place under broiler until cheese is melted, serve immediately, alone or over mixed greens as a salad.

Fig, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad: Cut/crumble all into pieces and toss with mixed greens. Top with a quick mix of balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and the best olive oil you can find.

Gingered Fig Martinis (over 21 only): Blend 2 cups figs, 1 small knob of ginger (less for less spicy, more for more) 2 tsp water and the juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (depending on size) in the blender. Pour over ice in cocktail shaker, add vodka to taste and shake well. Pour into chilled martini glass.

From Jennifer Silverberg at www.EatYourselfWell.com and facebook.com/eatyourselfwell Please maintain link as you copy and share recipe with others!